Enslaved
by FishTVCo
Summary: "Here is your choice, Vegeta. I die, you die. Save me, save yourself. My freedom is your freedom." AU in which Bulma enslaves Vegeta with a electronic headband in order to make him help her return home, but things are not simple and soon everything changes. - Action, Sci-Fi version of the Namek arc and parts beyond. *On-going*
1. Prologue

**Prelude:**

Zarbon sidestepped the growing puddle of green goo spraying out of what was once an Arlian slave. _Those bugs are just as ugly on the inside, _Zarbon thought with a grimace. He continued to walk to towards Frieza's throne and kneeled.

"Ah, Zarbon," Frieza said in his usual deceptively jovial voice, "And you brought the monkeys with you."

Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz walked defiantly towards to the throne behind Zarbon. Vegeta's scowl deepened, but allowed the familiar insulting pet name to pass over him. Instead, he kneeled before the throne before quickly standing upright again with shoulders back and arms tensed at his sides. Nappa and Raditz stayed kneeled behind him, both hoping this stop was short so that they could get to the med ward soon, all of them were a little worse for wear after this mission.

"So, Vegeta. I hear you had some sort of problem conquering Shikk. It took you and your men three days to conquer that little rock.

"We accomplished exactly what you desired and the remaing inhabitants pledged loyalty to you and the Cold Empire," Vegeta said calmly.

Frieza smiled to himself, "Did they really? I'm just surprised it took so long." Zarbon laughed at the disgruntled look on Vegeta's face. "Very well, you are dismissed," Frieza said as he waved them away.

Raditz stood and muttered a little too loudly, "We just crushed an entire race of people and that is all he has to say?" The Shikk had not made the Saiyan's work easy; they had advanced technology and the team had to disable several explosive devices that would have destroyed and irradiated the environment and atmosphere, and thus destroying the planet's value. Raditz had been captured and tortured for a full day until Nappa and Vegeta finished the extermination and searched for him. His failure by being captured and endangering the mission stung at his pride and he knew that he was lucky Vegeta didn't kill him on the spot. Nappa visibly flitched at the younger Saiyan's foolishness and shot him a silencing glance, but Vegeta remained unmoved and empty.

Frieza calmly looked at the boisterous, long-haired Saiyan like a beast allowing the child to poke him one last time. He said, "Tell me, Zarbon, how long do you think it would take you to conquer a planet like Shikk?"

Zarbon puffed up a bit before answering, "Well, I imagine one day would be enough"

"Really? A whole day? It IS a tiny planet," he said with a laugh that forced the rest of the room to join in. Vegeta grit his teeth as the sound filled the room; he made a mental note to beat Raditz thoroughly in the next training session. After the rooms laughter quieted Frieza continued, "Is there anything else you would like to report to me? You do understand I have more significant matters to attend to…"

"Grr… cocky little…"Raditz grumbled under his breath, but before he could inhale Frieza had him by the throat.

"My Lord Frieza," Vegeta said with a detached and level voice, "I believe I am allowed to punish my men as I see fit. As we agreed"

"True, but you seem to be shirking in your duties in disciplining as you are at doing your job in a timely manner," He squeezed Raditz's throat a little harder until the man could only sputter and scratch out a sliver of air. A glint came across Frieza eyes then, "Perhaps you need me to demonstrate to you how punition is truly done," he said waiting for an answer before he would consider dropping the choking man.

Vegeta mentally prepared himself for whatever beating Frieza had cooked up for him. He knew well the things his twisted mind would think up. "Yes, My Lord," Vegeta said as he would say to any of Frieza's missions.

"You will work off this insubordination on the Slave Planet Z. Most don't survive a fortnight, but I am sure you will find it very….. enlightening. Dodoria, escort Vegeta to the slave ship."

Nappa stood in quiet panic as he heard what was happening. Even the onlookers gasped and whispered at the idea. Everyone had heard the stories of Slave Planet Z, the mining camps there was beyond hard labor. He glared down at Raditz for his part in this mess. Vegeta remained unchanged; cold and hard as ever.

Zarbon leaned over with glee at this development, "What about the restraints, my Lord?"

"Oh yes, the anti-ki cuffs should be enough," he called out to Dodoria. "But not those damned headbands; they are drilled in so tight they can't be removed without killing him. I wouldn't want to damage my favorite pet. But Vegeta, give me any further problems, and we may never see that hairline of yours again"

Dodoria gave Vegeta a push in the direction of the exit. Vegeta growled at him warningly at being touched. Apul met them at the docking bay with the ki-suppressing cuffs. After affixing them around Vegeta's wrists and using a device to activate them, Vegeta could instantly feel his energy being drained away. he had to fight to continue to stand upright as the effect sapped every drop of ki away from him. Dodoria pushed him into the pod of the slave ship sending Vegeta into the wall with a heavy bang.

"Bye Bye, Monkey," Dodoria said as he closed the claustrophobic door and it locked into place as Vegeta slid to the grated floor unconscious.

Back in the throne room, Frieza was congratulating himself on the turn of events. He was alway delighted in finding new ways to torture his little prince.

"Vegeta really asked for it this time, My Lord. And since that slave ship is empty and just leaving port, Vegeta will have to stay in that pod for weeks until the ship is full of new bodies." Zarbon said as he poured more of the dark substance into his lord's goblet.

"An added bonus indeed," Frieza replied with glee. He swirled his goblet as he looked around the room. Some of the bug-like Arlian slaves were on the floor in front of the throne cleaning up their fallen comrade. "Make a note Zarbon, find a new breed of slaves for the castle. I am sick of these Arlian ones," His smile peeled wider as he thought, "something that looks like a Saiyan, but perhaps without the bad temper."

Zarbon sneered back, "An excellent idea my Lord."

A/N: Sorry it was so long to post. I have been working on the later chapters so I would avoid the super long pauses between posts. We will see how I do. Hope you like the new story! Please review


	2. Chapter 1: Escape

**Chapter 1: Escape**

It had been weeks. Weeks! Inside that cramped pod as it flew and stomped down on one planet or another. The lights turned off and on, as his only indicator that time had passed. There was a small porthole window, but the only thing he could see was a part of a hallway that lead to the rows and rows of other slave pods. For days, Vegeta tried to train to pass the time, moving through Kantas, but the walls were so narrow he could not even stretch his arms fully out. Plus the cuffs cut him off from his ki and soon felt useless. So now he meditated.

Occasionally he saw a slaver, but they are only drones thanks to the headband they wore; an invention from some technologically advance system, perhaps Rygol 7. Frieza didn't put them on all the slaves in the palace, simply for the fact that they are not as entertaining when the headband controls their every thought and emotion with pain. And Frieza loved to watch as a slaves spirit was broken, but there is nothing to break with the headband, those slaves are hollow husks. The headband forces unwavering compliance with pain and eventually the wearer is cut off from all emotions and personality. While Vegeta hated the cuffs sapping away his energy, the headband would have been a fate worse than death.

A voice is heard echoing gently throughout the ship, "Welcome to slave ship 804. On route to Slave Planet Z, a Cold Empire planet. You have been assessed and any injuries sustained during your capture have been designated as non-life threatening. Remaining journey time is estimated at 430 galactic hours. If you are experiencing severe nausea or need to relieve yourself, please do so in the grate positioned under your feet. A new life awaits you at our destination. Compliance on the journey will be rewarded with safety and sustenance. Noncompliance will be rewarded with pain."

A flash of blue catches his attention. Through the tiny porthole window on his pod, he sees a blue haired girl stepping down from the slave pod across from him. She runs over to a computer display screen and starts punching keys. Almost immediately afterwards the ship shakes and loud bangs and distant explosions are heard.

The same gentle computer voice comes on the speakers "Warning, engine overload. Temperature at critical levels. Alert. Alert." The bangs and explosions were closer now drowning out the dull repeating alarm.

"Hey. HEY!" Vegeta banged the wall to get her attention. She looked right at him for a moment, her blue eyes held in place by his dark ones, but only for a moment before she turned and ran down the hall. Vegeta cursed under his breath as she disappeared from his view and he punched the wall in frustration. The pods shakes violently again.

"Hull breach" the calm computer voice overhead said as fire ripped through the hallway.

Another explosion dislodged Vegeta's slave pod from the wall mounts. Leveraging his feet and back against the wall and door he strained his ki-less body to push till the door finally gave way. He climbed from the battered pod and looked down the hallway. He could hear the cries of faceless voices, whimpers and shouting and panic as the ship rocked and shook again.

He ran down the corridors, the same way as the blue-haired girl.

"Slave escaping in sector 9! Slave escap-" a panicked voice cried before a quick punch to the jaw silenced him.

"Don't call me that," Vegeta says to the crumpled corpse.

"Escapee in section 9," the female mechanical voice calls out. Shit. "Activating cyberman droids in section 9"

_Perfect_, Vegeta thinks before the bending of electronic gears as two droids move off their mounted position on the wall._ Just perfect._ The droids step forward, as beams of light as their lasers strikes the grated floor, slicing through the metal easily. _Without my ki I can't just blast them away and get out of here._ Vegeta rolled his shoulders back and let the smirk widen on his face. _Guess we are doing this the old fashioned way._

He narrowly missed one droids laser as he lunged forward onto the second. He grabbed its arm and swung it into the other droid, knocking them both into the wall. The droids' lasers had sliced into each other, rendering both machines sparking hunks of junk. Just as Vegeta was crossing his arms to gloat, four more heavily armed droids stepped off the walls in front of him. _This is going to take all day. I've got to get these ki-suppressors off now._

The female mechanical voice come on overhead again, "Warning. Escape pod 7 launched. 6 pods remaining. Please proceed to level B escape pods."

_Shit nevermind. Time to get out of here._ Vegeta turned and started running down the corridor as the droids opened fire behind him. Once he was through the door at the end of the long hallway, he slammed his fist into the control panel on the side, and closed the door behind him.

Another masked slaver was there by a computer screen station. In an instant Vegeta was inches in front of him. "You! Get these cuffs off me,"

"I-I can't. It's against regulations" he stammered. Vegeta punched his fist into the computer screen next to his head. "The cuffs can only be deactivated by the device in the command-"

Just as the masked man was explaining the mechanical voice was heard again, "Slave 0145 is assisting an escaping prisoner. Level 1 infraction. Command, termination Slave 0145."

The masked slaver started screaming with his hands on his head. The metal headband over his masked face began to glow a bright red. And then the man was on the ground as the headband sparked out.

"Termination complete"

Vegeta looked down at the masked body a moment before continuing down the corridor. _I guess asking these guys won't work. I'll have to find some other way to get these off, but first I have to get off this ship._

"Escape pod 5 launched. 4 pods remaining"

He continued to run, following the glowing arrows and signs he saw along the way. Doors slid open automatically before him, until he came to one that didn't. Through the window on the door he saw the blue-haired girl again.

"Hey! Open the door," he shouted to the window. She looked at him with hesitation as she backed up, unsure. Then she made a determined turn and punched codes into the door console before continuing on and leaving Vegeta behind the locked door. "Hey! You mother… Dammit!" He slammed his fist into the metal door for good measure.

"Escape pod 4 launched. 3 pods remaining"

Vegeta looked out the porthole window to his right. He could see the black smoke bellowing from the engines and pieces of metal panels ripping off the sides of the ship. Then, just a bit farther up the ship he saw something blast out of the side of the ship.

"Escape pod 3 launched. 2 pods remaining. Warning, impact in 90 seconds"

Before a second thought, Vegeta pushed the airlock button. He braced himself on the doorframe as he felt the outside air sucking him through the door. Holding onto the exposed pipes he climbed his way around the outside of the ship. Wind blew and pulled at him and explosions continued to rock and shake the ship, but he dug his fingers into the rusty pipes, bolts and busted panels. He saw a pod fire off the ship a few yards away from him. _Only one more._ Taking a maintenance ladder upwards, he climbed up onto the last pod.

There she was again. He stretched his body across the escape pods red circle window and looked down at the blue-haired girl now strapping the safety harness down over her shoulders. Her blue eyes locked with his as he banged on the window. She looked startled and uncomfortable with the Saiyan prince holding onto the outside of the window. All Vegeta could do was shake his head NO as she looked right at him and slammed her hand into the large red launch button.

The pod blazed through the sky, away from the burning ship as it flew. The force of the wind made Vegeta have to really push to lift himself up off the window. Inside he could still see the girl, she had tried to turn her face away from him, but her eyes wouldn't let her. The pod shook. They went flying far away from anything and towards an overgrown forest. Vegeta barely had time to think an expletive before the pod was crashing him-first into a tree. The trunk splintered and broke in two across his body. His head banged into the window of the pod, but he managed to still hold on as more trees broke around and across him. Before Vegeta felt the impact of hitting ground, everything had gone black.

A/N: Please read and review. It feeds my Ego Monsters and she keeps me writing more.


	3. Chapter 2: Unwilling Companion

**Chapter 2: Unwilling Companion**

Vegeta woke up laying on a bed of soft grass and a gentle breeze, but all he can feel was his splitting headache. Turning over on his side, with more effort than he wanted to admit, he could see the blue-haired girl. She was sitting with her legs pulled up in front of her as she watched him apprehensively. Her blue eyes reflected her caution and fear, but something else Vegeta couldn't gather. "You? Ah my head" The migraine flowed over him again and he rolled onto his back again. "Kami, it feels like my head is going to explode"

"It is the headband. The slave headband. The one I fit on you." She said it easily, simply stating the fact.

Vegeta looked directly at her then, as his hands reached to his head. It was a headband. The same headband that the masked slavers on the ship had. "You put this on me?" he said as he sat up farther. The anger dripped from his mouth making the words shake and quiver to find their own victim.

"Let me explain—"

"Get this thing off or I'm gonna rip your head off," Vegeta said it quietly, not as a threat, but a stiff promise.

"No," she said after a deep pause. Her eyes were determined as she stared at him. Unafraid.

"No?" his voice was rising to a shout quickly, "You think I'm screwing with you? Do you have any idea what you have done?! Get it OFF!" He was up and moving towards her then.

Jumping up and away from the fuming Saiyan, she squeaked out "No! Command Stop!"

The hands that were reaching out to strangle the life from the blue-haired girl now reached up to his own head as the pain ripped through his mind. The world seemed to fuzz and shake as Vegeta doubled over with the pain.

"It- It works!" she said with a crack of glee at her own brilliance before continuing in seriousness, "Command Move Away from Me."

Vegeta backed away quickly as the pain continued to peel open his mind.

"What the hell are you doing?" Vegeta said, writhing against the headband.

"I hacked a slave headband so it would be activated by my voice commands. Activation triggers a systemic pain response. It's what controls the slaves." She said each word in a controlled calm way, like recited parts of a chemical formula.

"I'm gonna kill you," Vegeta said still holding his head in his hands trying to push the pain away.

"You can't. I set it so that if my heart stops beating, for any reason, the headband will administer a lethal dose," Vegeta looked up through the blur and pain and locked his eyes with the face before him. "If I die, you die," she said finitely.

Feeling the pain begin to ebb, he said "Why?"

"Because I need your help. I need to get back home, to Earth. I'll never make it on my own. The slavers could still be out there. You get me back home and I'll let you go back to wherever you are from."

The pain was lifting now and all he could think of was killing her and her entire community as soon as the headband was off. "Looks like I don't have a choice," Vegeta said finally. He took in several long purposeful breaths as the pain subsided completely.

"Neither of us does," her voice was quiet now, "I'm sorry." There was that emotion in her eyes he couldn't place before. Guilt. _I don't get that, _he thought and verbally scoffed.

"Sorry? No, I don't think you are," Vegeta said in a cold voice. He pushed to his feet and walked towards her. He took several deep breaths as he looked down at the female. She was... unexpected. Not just in being able to orchestra this situation, but he was more surprised by her eyes. As he approached her, she backed away slightly but there was no fear in her eyes. Not a moment wasted on fearing the man she knew was beyond powerful; she had witnessed first band him surviving the impact and she knew it was only a taste taste of what he was capable. After his long stare at the girl, he stated flatly, "Move. We are leaving."

He stood still as she gathered her bag, putting a handful of small tubes into the front pocket. He did not wait for her and walked on and tried to clean the last twinges of pain from his head.

"Do you know what the plan is?" Bulma said once she had everything she needed.

"To get you home as soon as possible, so you can get this thing off me and I can break your neck"

"I meant—"

"I know what you meant," he said curtly, "Where is the pod?"

"You mean the escape pod? Over there. It survived the crash quite well, it made a huge crater but the ship seemed still in tact. Which doesn't make much sense with the speed-"

"Quiet, Onna. Just take me to the pod. We can use it to get to... whatever planet you said," When she pointed behind him, he turned and started walking and left her to trot after to catch up.

"Earth. But how is that possible? That pod didn't look like it had an internal propulsion system or anything," Bulma said, her interest peaked, "Unless it uses-"

"Do you ever stop talking?!" He cut her off, "It doesn't matter how it works. It may take longer, but it can get us to your home and you can get this thing off me."

After walking the short distance, he saw the round pod and the clearing it and his body had made crashing through the trees. Lucky he heals so fast, so all he felt now was some muscle soreness. He walked up to the pod and started to punch into the keypad on the console. After getting the coordinates from her, he started to get into the pod.

"We can't both ride in that, can we? It is so crapped and what about food and supplies?"

"Would you like to ride on the outside on this trip?"

"No," she admitted with a childlike look of guilt. She blushed at thinking of staying in such close quarters with the man. "But-"

Vegeta groaned at her never ending questions and climbed into the brown cushioned seat. Bulma bite her lip as she approached the pod. As she moved to sit between his open knees, she attempted to distract herself by looking at the consoles and display screens.

Vegeta couldn't help but smirk as she agonizingly allowed her curved rump to come closer to him. He had to spread his knees to make room for her hips to fit between. This was the first time he had looked the girl over and he was starting at the bottom, so to speak. She had a trim waist, thin weak-looking arms, and long bluish hair that hung in waves down her back. She was trying to sit as far away from him as possible, leaning far forward over the consoles. Once she seemed fully inside the pod, he pressed a few buttons and the pod door with red porthole moved into place.

"So, how long do we have to sit like this?" she asked avoiding turning around to look at him.

"The trip will take two weeks. But-" he said, insisting to continue when she started to object or, kami forbid it, ask another question, "but you will hardly notice once the suspended animation starts. It will only seem like a good rest." When she began to open her mouth he said firmly, "And not another question until we land or so help me, I will end us both right now."

She pulled her lips tightly together and nodded. He was hitting more buttons then and the pod began to vibrate as the strange alien engines came to life. She watched the screens closely as lights flashed or changed color all over, but before she could open her mouth to defy him with a question, she was slammed back into her seat. Well, not a seat but the hard chest of the man sharing her seat. She could see through the porthole as the scenery vanished from view and only the red-tinted sky was in front of them.

She was smiling in open wonder at the sight, "Amazing! I wondered why the window was red, but it must be to block the harmful light rays from passing stars," she glanced back at his grumbling face, "I said I wondered. I didn't ask anything," she said with a wink for good measure.

Vegeta didn't know what to make of this girl or her smiling face as she leaned closer to the porthole, but it made the edges of his mouth bend up. He also didn't seem to mind when she was leaning all the way back against his chest. Before another strange thought crossed his mind, he engaged the sleeping gas on the console next to him. He resisted the effects as the gas filled the pod, but she quickly slumped gently back onto his chest. He took the opportunity to look closely at her face and examine this strange creature that had captured him. She was quite lovely when not asking incessant questions. _It will be a shame to have to kill her once the headband is off,_ he thought as he let the gas overcome him as well.

A/N: hope you like the new chapter and that you review! Thanks for all the support, means a lot and keeps me writing.


	4. Chapter 3: Belated Introductions

**A/N: WOOT NEW CHAPTER! I get excited about it too. Please Review if you do too. Thanks to the reviews and followers to this point; You are my favorite people!**

**Chapter 3: Belated Introductions**

The landing on Earth was far easier than their previous landing, at least it was for Vegeta. The only discomfort was when the gas turned off shortly before entering the atmosphere and the woman would not stop screaming as the pod headed into the planet. His ears were still ringing from her high pitched wailing. And she had crawled all over him, pulling and tugging on his suit and hair in her panic.

They crashed into a desert area with nothing really around, even along the horizon. After the pod doors opened, Vegeta pushed her unceremoniously out of the pod and onto the ground before making his own grand entrance.

"What the hell?!" Bulma said rubbing her bottom and dusting off her skirt.

Vegeta reached into a compartment of the pod and pulled out a small device. He opened it and tried to put it over his eye, but discovered that it wouldn't fit with the headband in the way. He nearly crushed the scouter in his fist in frustration. Instead he tossed it at the woman and looked towards the horizon for a hint of where they would go next.

"What is this?"

"A scouter," anticipating her next insesent question he continued, "It is a communication device, it also measures energy signatures so that when we go to a planet we can take out the biggest threat first." He lifted his eyes to the horizon and sniffed the air. It smelled like something was burning to the west.

"It measures energy, hmm." she pressing some of the buttons. "I had friends here on Earth that just sensed energy. I wonder if it works the same way," she said matter-a-factly while putting the scouter over her eye.

"What?" he turned to her, this was the only interesting thing to spill from her mouth since they became tied together. "What do you mean they could sense energy?" he said as he stepped closer to her so he stood a little too close for her own comfort.

"Uh, well. They could. I never could," she took a step back to regain some of the air she felt like she had lost. "Krillin described it to me once. What did he say exactly? Oh yeah," she cleared her throat as she attempted to channel the short monk. "Ki is a tangible energy that lives inside each and every living thing. By sensing ki, one can sense the location, life force and power level of anyone, although it is easier to sense higher power levels and ones that are physically closer. They used to suppress their ki too, when hiding from enemies too. Um, he also said something about it was similar to feeling electricity in the air during battles or something. I don't remember I lost interest while he was talking," she waved off the memory with a shrug, but Vegeta did not seem to have lost interest at all. "When we get to the compound, you can ask him yourself, if you really want to know," she stammered out. She decided not to tell him that Krillin also described it as like trying to teach sight to the blind.

Vegeta was fascinated by this idea and the great advantages it would offer him if he wasn't tied to a scouter. The feeling of electricity in the air during battle, he certainly recognized that aspect. He would have to practice this ki sensing later on, which of course he would master within minutes, but for now he needed to get rid of this headband. And the woman.

"It is too bad we didn't land any closer, but that is ok," she said pulling a tube from her pocket. "I managed to keep some capsules when they captured me." She pressed the button on top and tossed the tube onto the ground. After a pop and puff of smoke, a motorcycle appeared in its place. Bulma turned to Vegeta, a wide gloating smile across her face, just dying for the chance to explain her device's genius. To her chagrin, Vegeta hadn't been paying attention at all, and merely raised an eyebrow at the two wheeled machine. It is not that he wasn't incredibly surprised by the appearing machine, but he would not give her the satisfaction of surprising him again.

"Hmm," he scoffed. "It moves along the ground?" he rolled his eyes as he thought, _what a primitive planet_.

"Hey! I didn't pack my jet with me, I am so sorry your high and mightiness," she lashed back and she crossed her arms over her chest. All at once a realization hit her that made her blush deeply with embarrassment. She didn't even know his name. She had enslaved a total stranger, was traveling with him in very close quarters for two weeks, technically, and she had never introduced herself. More embarrassing than not knowing his name was trying to figure out how to make introductions now that it had been so long.

Vegeta didn't notice the turmoil in the female, but he did like the title she called him, even if it was meant to be insulting. He moved towards the ground transport and walked around it, but still unsure exactly how one opens up the cabin to sit in it. Knowing that Frieza's men could still be on the planet and having no desire to be seen wearing a slave headband Vegeta admitted to himself that perhaps it is best not to fly there.

Bulma saw him examining the motorcycle and finally sitting on the cushioned seat like he was riding a horse side-saddle. She suppressed a giggle and quietly swung a leg over the bike while holding onto the handles.

When he realized how she wanted him to sit on the bike behind her, he wondered why she had such a problem with the seating in the pod.

"Make sure you hold on," she blushed and quickly added, "There are handles under your seat." Once they were situated, she revved the engine into life and followed the blinking light on GPS display on the bike console. It was going to take over 20 hours to drive to Capsule Corp. _Hope he is comfortable back there,_ she thought wishing she had an altogether different form of transportation.

Their rode for hours before the scenery changed at all, growing more grass and bushes and eventually trees and forests around them and the horizon and landscaped changed. As the sun was setting, Bulma couldn't take it anymore; the boredom, quiet and the extreme need to find a private bush somewhere. She tried to chat with him, but perhaps the wind blew away the words or the man behind her was simply ignoring her. She slowed the bike to a stop into a shady wooded area.

"We should stop and camp for the night," she said awkwardly. After so much silence during the trip, she felt strange speaking aloud at all; it was like she had been caught talking to herself.

They were quiet for a long time after getting off the bike, and still longer as he watched her open more capsules with supplies and blankets. After seeing the man eat, she wished she had packed far more food than just one week's emergency provisions. After the sun as long set and the area was filled with cool damp air, blinking fireflies and cricket churps, they both sat around the fire. The roaring fire flickered long shadows across the clearing. He stepped through the darkest shadows, yet she still couldn't see him clearly in the twisting lights.

She cleared her throat to break the silence before she spoke. "You know it is strange that we are traveling together and I don't know anything about you. Were you captured from a planet?"

"No."

"Well, I am sure you didn't volunteer to be on the slave ship. Can you tell me more about yourself?"

"No."

Growing annoyed she said, "Well can I at least know your name? I should have something to call you," _not just Ass,_ she added to herself.

"I am his royal highness, Prince Vegeta the fifth of Vegeta-kai. Ruler of all Saiyans and the Saiyan realms and territories across the galaxy. Commander of the Saiyan armies."

After a long pause she said, "Um, can I just call you Vegeta?"

"Prince Vegeta will be acceptable"

"Veggie it is!" she said with a huge grin hoping he would crack a smile. He didn't. "Prince Veggie?" Still no luck, "Fine, fine. Vegeta. Happy?" after another long pause, she said, "My name is Bulma Briefs,"

Vegeta gave a gruff sigh and opened the canned beverage she had in the "refrigerator," as she called it. The technology she had was surprisingly useful, but he was mainly liked how tasty the food from her planet was. He watched her through the flames, buried deeply in the blankets so only her head stuck out, like a blue capped mountain. Even though the whipping flames, her eyes shone bright and cool. She was strangely beautiful, _if only she wasn't so horrendous to be around_, he thought. He was very interested in the ki-sensing she has mentioned earlier. He had indeed felt that crackle of energy during battles, but never really thought much about it. Since there were not any high power levels nearby, at least he assumed so, he started with quietly listening to his own ki and imaging it at the center of his body. It was hard with the ki-cuffs still on. How was he to get them off with the slave ship destroyed? And on different planet. Suddenly annoyed with his situation, he distracted himself by watching the flames; and he was kept an eye on her as well.

She got up quickly and darted over to a one of the decapsulated items and grabbed a small tray of tools and the scouter. _What is she doing?,_ he thought as she pulled the back panel off the scouter and started fiddling with the wires and circuit board.

"What are you doing, Onna?" he said.

"I'm trying to adapt the scouter to try and block our ki-signature, so that if any of those soldiers look for us, they can't pick us up on their scouters.

"Hmm," Vegeta said, "Makes little difference right now while my ki is being suppressed by these cuffs,"

"What? Your power is being suppressed?" she looked up him in surprise, "But you are so strong,"

"Of course, I am a Saiyan," a smirk daring to lift the corner of his mouth at the astonished look on her face.

She left her protective mound of blankets and sat next to him, eyes locked on his wrists. She grasped his arm just above the wrist and twisted it all around so that she could get a better look at the cuffs. Too surprised by the bold way in which she was touching him, and enjoying the way her brow knit together as she was concentrating on the task in front of her, he allowed her small hand to twist and stretch his arm in all directions. After a little probing, to his astonishment, she opened up a hidden panel in the side of the cuff.

Taking a screwdriver from her kit she shorted out the circuit board and the cuff popped open without further hassle. Vegeta could only be in awe for a moment before he felt his ki become unbound and pulse through his body again. It unleashed from deep within his center and explode out at such force he could barely contain it. A scream erupted from him as he powered up, allowing his ki to bellow out of him in a great aura that blew the small female off her feet. He reveled in the power at his fingertips again.

"Your welcome," Bulma said sarcastically from the ground as she struggled to put her feet under her again. She stood and dusted herself off and moving back towards her blanket pile.

_She certainly is smarter than she looks, _he thought looking at his freed wrists. As she went back to her mountain of blanket with the ki-cuff in hand, a new toy to play with it seemed. Vegeta sat back down and tried to focus on his ki again, now that it was vibrating freely.

"At this rate we'll reach my community by tomorrow," Bulma fidgeted slightly, "What will you do when we get there? And after I take the headband off?" She gave him a small smile, "Apart from break my neck I mean."

He was quiet for a long moment. "Go back I guess."

"Go back where?"

"It doesn't matter," he watched the fire crack and spark. What other choice did he really have then returning to Frieza's service?

"Don't you have a home planet?" she asked.

He could hear the pity seeping into her voice; it annoyed him. "No. My planet was destroyed by Frieza long ago. Less than a handful of Saiyans survived the planet's destruction," he clenched his fist and continued. "And not another question about it," he said finitely.

Bulma fidgeted in her seat, sorry that she had made him angry. However she felt worse that he was helping her get home, but didn't have one of his own to return to. "You could probably stay," she cleared her throat softly, "If you wanted."

Vegeta looked over at her, a smirk lifting onto his face and she blushed deeply.

"When my father hears all you've done for me, I know he'll offer you a place to stay. If that's what you want. It is a self sustaining compound, so everything we need is there. My mother's garden is huge with lots of food, even enough for you. And after seeing some of the technology on the slave ship and the scouter, I am sure I can upgrade our defenses and keep us from being a target next time," as she rambled on the blush overtook her whole face and even boiled over her ears.

Vegeta looks at her curiously. What was causing this strange behavior? What made her think that he would stay after the deal was over? What exactly did she think was going on here? "Foolish human. They are likely all dead and you are wasting your time, " he said as he nestled back into his arms to rest.

Hurt and then very angry, Bulma put the scouter down and gave up talking for the day as she pulled the blanket up over her head. What on Earth was she thinking inviting him to stay at Capsule Corp? She didn't know anything about this man, other than that he was a big stick in the mud. She tried to brush off his words as she thought, _No, Capsule Corp has plenty of defenses. I am sure they are fine. Just fine. _Bulma always had a bad habit of chewing on her bottom lip when she was worried. Her mother always warned her that one day she was going to ruin her lips from biting on them so much, which was ridiculous because her lips were perfect. But as she chewed the soft thin skin between her teeth, she knew she would eventually draw blood.

A/N: WOOT NEW CHAPTER! We are finally getting into it, aren't we!


	5. Chapter 4: Home

**Chapter 4: Home**

In the morning, Bulma found Vegeta straddling the bike, leaning over the handle bars. _Bunched muscles across his back. Powerful thighs wrapped around the machine. Oh, Damn that is a nice view to wake up to,_ she thought. She shook her head to keep her mind from spiraling out of control.

"I didn't know you were going out of your way to kill us both," she said with all the sass she could muster, while sticking her hands on her hips for good measure, You don't even know how to drive."

He revved the engine, just as he had seen her do, and shot her a satisfied smirk.

She tried to act nonchalant as she walked up to the motorcycle, but she couldn't stop herself from blushing as she got on the seat behind him. She reached for the handles under her seat, but when he pulled back on the clutch so fast her hands shot to his waist to keep herself from falling off.

Smirking to himself, Vegeta peeked back at her during the ride. He was starting to really enjoy the different faces she made, and this frazzled one was especially interesting. He let go of the handle for a moment and grabbed her wrist. He gently pulled her hand further around his waist until she was pressed fully to his back and both her arms wrapped securely around his waist. He couldn't see her face anymore, but he could feel the heat of her cheek as it nestled between his shoulder blades.

They drove on for a few hours like that until he could begin to see mounds along the horizon. The domed buildings grew as he continued onward.

"There! There, this is it," she said pointing towards a walled area. He stopped the bike on front of the closed gate. "Oh, I can't believe we actually made it." Bulma bubbled as she hopped off the bike and bounced away from him. "My father can be a little, um, odd. But don't worry,"

_Coming from you, _he thought with a scoff.

"Hm, that's strange. The security gates have been activated." She said with confusion as she looked around.

"So how do we get in?"

"I'll take a look at it over here" she said as she stepped towards a panel. Vegeta looked at the large domed buildings in the distance. The place felt quiet, eerily still. Vegeta sniffed and a deep scowl crossed his face; this place smelled burnt and putrid. A tale tell sign.

"We'll have to climb over the fence, but there are security droids" Bulma said and headed over to the fenced wall. She put the tip of her foot onto cement wall and tried to climb. Vegeta enjoyed watching her fruitless struggle for a few moments.

"Hey Vegeta, can you help me with this?" she gestured to wall. "I just need a boost,"

"You seem to be doing just fine on your own," he smirked.

"Come on. I'm not commanding you. I'm asking you." she said, stepping closer and cocked her head to the side with her own smirk, "Would it help if I say please?"

He rolled his eyes as he stepped towards her; she seemed to be expecting him to do something else. He watched her eyes as he stepped closer to her and reached an arm around her waist. He pulled her flat against his chest which made her squeek and burn pink. Before she could utter a word he lifted them both into the air and over the wall.

Once inside the wall, she said, "This is so strange. There should be sentry droids." She moved towards the house, "This just doesn't make any sense, where is everyone?"

Vegeta saw the scraps of what he guessed where her sentry droids, scattered on the far side of the lawn. There were ki-burns on the walls and a blown off metal door. The destruction was minimal, pretty standard procedure, so as to not destroy any useful technology or potential slaves. This team was brutally efficient, and long gone.

"Onna," he said his fingertips brushed her shoulder.

"No," she said pulling away, denial and dismissal in her voice, "No," However, when she finally saw the caved in dome of her home, she stopped in her tracks. "No" a quivering panic in her voice now as she ran off without him.

"Onna!"

He followed her with more haste than he intended into the domed building. There were still tiny robots scurrying around the floor, sweeping up chunks of broken wall or dishes. Completing their duties on schedule, as if their masters were still around. Vegeta gave the nearest droid a kick as it crossed his path.

He listened for her presence, but also tried to feel out with his ki like she had talked about. _She is on the second floor._ He found her sitting curled up to be as small as possible staring at a large red stain on the floor.

"This was my home," tears threatening her voice with quaking, "the slavers came back and destroyed everything. Just like you said."

This version of her made him uncomfortable, like his gut was twisting into knots. "Is there someplace survivors could have retreated to?"

"There aren't going to be any survivors," she said with broken anger.

"You don't know that," he said quietly.

She struggled to think, the red spot seemed like any second it was going to spread out and consume her too. "I don't know. The lab, maybe."

"Show me," he said, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet.

They walked slowly to the lower level of the house, till they came to a large metal door.

"It is intact," she said as the excitement seeped into her voice. "Maybe there are survivors." She pressed her hand to the console and the screen flashed green before the door clicked and hissed open. She trotted down the hallway till she came to figure hunched over a computer. "Daddy!" She reached for his shoulder and pulled him back into the chair. The body heavily slumped back, cold and gray. She knelt down next to his chair, "No, Daddy."

Vegeta walked in behind her, pressing a button on the keyboard and the computer flickered to life. On the screen was the shaggy haired scientist, cigarette in mouth as he tried to cover the growing red stain across his stomach.

"Bulma. My beautiful daughter. I know how resourceful you are, and there is a chance you will make your way back home so I am recording this message for you. After you were captured, I spoke with Kami. He said that there could be a chance to undo all this by finding the Dragonballs on his home planet, Namek. Kami's old ship should still have the coordinates." He coughed and a line of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and clung to his mustache. "I've got a short span here. I am sorry I couldn't save your mother, but it is blessing to me to know that you are still alive. I love you, Bulma." Vegeta clicked to pause the video as the old man's voice began to crack and fade as the life bleed out of him.

Bulma still sat at the foot of the chair, not sure if she wished to touch him, but she knew there was nothing of her father left there. The smell of coffee and cigarettes and the way he would twitch his mustache to make her laugh. How they would work together on a project long into the night. Everything important about him was gone. Stolen away. Her head dropped but she forced back each and every tear that tried to escape.

"I told you if you got me home I'd set you free," she sighed bitterly as she looked up her father's body and then into Vegeta's eyes. But she couldn't hold his gaze and twisted her head down and faced the wall as she spoke, "I guess I lied." When she finally look up into his face again, there was a quiet fury behind her eyes. "I want to find the people who did this. And then, I'm going to kill them," she said fiercely as she stared into his eyes.

The look in her eyes drew him closer, like he was moving closer to a memory long forgotten. It was sure and steady with a powerful silence that seemed to bend the world around her by the shear force of her will. He moved closer still, warmed by the chance to feel that same passion and determination that her eyes created.

She reached out her hand for him to take it and help her up. And he silently accepted.

A/N: New chapter! Hope you all like it. And thank you to the reivewers; I took to your advice and a sassier Bulma will me peeking into the story from now on.


	6. Chapter 5: Aligned Goals

**Okay, Back to the story!**

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**Chapter 5: Aligned Goals**

It had been a week since they had arrived at Capsule Corp. They had buried the bodies they found at the compound, but to Bulma, it didn't help much. Bulma found the best relief in work and to feed every waking moment to it. She had found Kami's ship at the location her father had recorded for her. The strange spiked egg-shaped ship seemed in good condition for being abandoned for so long, but it still needed some work to be fully operational again. The alien technology was fascinating to Bulma, especially the gravity generator. Vegeta was familiar with the technology and found her interest a waste of time, until she came up with the idea of using it for training, then he was completely on board. She wouldn't risk destroying the Namekian ship for him to train in, so she started creating a separate gravity room in which he could train. The prototype was well under way and it was time consuming, but they both figured it would be worth it in the end. Till the prototype was completed, he trained in the yard or sometimes in her lab while she worked.

The time they spent together was quiet and focused, but it was starting to make Bulma more and more uneasy. Vegeta wasn't much of a conversationalist, not that he didn't talk, but he wouldn't unless it was important. She was getting really good at understanding his different grunts and reading the tense twitches in his neck or shoulders or the movements of his tail. She could barely bring herself to look at him, but he seemed to ignore her with the same contempt he always had. And yet, despite her discomfort, he seemed to stick around even more. He was always nearby, training just outside of where she was or even inside the lab as she worked. One evening, while he was training in the lab, she had enough.

"Vegeta, you haven't said anything," Bulma said nervously banging her pencil against the desk quietly, "about me breaking our deal."

He pushed his body up and down before answering her. "What do you expect me to say? With this thing on my head I have to stay, right?"

"Is it really so simple to you?"

"It just is what it is," he responded with another push-up.

Bulma squirmed in her seat at his words, a pained expression twisting her brows and lips.

Feeling her discomfort, Vegeta groaned in annoyance as he pushed his body upwards again. "Fuck Onna, what is it now?" She had been like this for days. At first he had simply given her space, thinking it was just about her family's demise, but now he just annoyed with it. He stayed nearby, often training in her lab or just outside, but no matter what she seemed to be avoiding him and couldn't even look him in the eyes. "I am doing what you want, aren't I?"

"Yeah but," she chewed on her lip, "I-I don't get that," she finally said standing.

"Get what?" Vegeta said exasperated, stopping his workout and resting and elbow across his knee. She was exhausting.

"I don't get THAT!" she was pacing the room as she spoke and arms whipped out in wild gestures to end each sentence. "Frieza destroyed your home too. Murdered your family. Enslaved you. Destroyed everything you held dear. How could you even consider working for that monster?" She shouted, crossing her arms finally to face him.

"I was a boy at the time, I didn't have much choice in the matter. Besides, none of that is important to me now. Strength is the only thing that matters in this universe. Everything else is just a delusion for the weak. There's only one certainty in life: a strong man stands above and conquers all. Frieza holds that position. For now. And again, I was never enslaved," He stood up to face her and crossed his arms tightly over his chest. His anger was starting to boil as he growled out the final word.

Bulma was beyond holding back as he pointed her finger into his chest, "Bull! Then why are you still so complicate with his demands? What about now? You are not a boy anymore. You can make your own choices, can't you? Why destroy worlds according to Frieza's whim? Fight his battles for him? Do what he did to you to the rest of the universe?" She was fully shouting at the man now, "You always have a choice! Before me, you never had the headband on you. Never had something restricting you and making you do what it said. You did that all on your own! You just let yourself be made a slave!"

"Enough!" In a flash, Vegeta had her by the throat so she choked, gasped and was unable to command him to stop. "I am No SLAVE!" He screamed each word into her face. Her mouth was pleading for air, but her eyes showed something else. Pity.

He throw her to the floor and left the room without another word.

He tried to control his breathing. To reign in his anger like he always did, but he could not. Her words echoed inside his head. He could feel their impact in his chest, stabbing him in every sore wound and every soft opening he had forgotten. Her words chased him over the compound walls and into the forest. When he could not run fast enough, he flew. He flew till the sound of the wind in his ears roared out her words. _I am not a Slave,_ he tried to repeat to himself over and over. _Not a slave. _But he knew it wasn't true. He had been bound and shackled for as long as he could remember.

In the beginning, he was beaten into obedience, but his mind never gave in to it. He took the beatings because he knew that his Saiyan blood would make him stronger after coming back from near death. And he did become stronger. But sometime along the way..._When exactly had that changed?_ He stopped flying. Even the bellowing wind in his ears couldn't quiet his mind anymore. Sometime ago while feigning complacency to Frieza, he had actually become it. The thing that he sneered at as pathetic and loathsome creatures that only dared to bloody Frieza's feet.

Saiyans were all warriors and entrepreneurs, protecting other planets or even destroying them in negotiated dealings. Ruled by pride, honor, honesty and strength, every Saiyan enjoyed the fruits of their battles with pride and stories of how they overcame difficult situations on the battlefield. A world populated with comrades and brothers in arms ready to laugh and joke and enjoy life together. They were never cold blooded killers, until Frieza came that was. Under Frieza, the songs and stories ended, because there was no pride in decimating weak opponents. No pride in destroying defenseless worlds.

He could remember the day he was taken from his home and birthright. His father standing aside as he allowed Frieza to sit on the Sayian throne. Bowing his head to the emperor as he bargained away his first born son. He looked pathetic and in the moment and Vegeta hated him. Like so many Saiyans working under Frieza, his father lost his pride. Bent low to enthrone a tyrant and betrayed his Saiyan blood. As he remembered how his father bent to Frieza's will, he could see himself kneeling before the enthroned Frieza. Calling him My Lord. Following each order. His pride tore at his chest, ripping open each shame with ravenous and blood thirsty anger. He screamed out as he felt his aura rip the trees away from him. He fell on his knees from the force of it all, but the rage would not leave him so easily. He drew back and punch the ground beneath him.

Despite the rumors that it collided with another planet and was destroyed, he knew the truth. He knew Frieza had destroyed the planet himself. Vegeta just knew Frieza killed his father, his people and his home planet. Ended the existence of a planet rumored to be on the verge of a rebellion. A rebellion by those proud warriors that remembered the battle stories and songs that had ended when Frieza turned their king into a puppet. All of them whipped out in an instant by a flick of Frieza's hand.

"I am not a slave! I AM NOT," he screamed to the night. "I am Prince Vegeta," he said, lifting his head to the sky. "Ruler of all Saiyans. The most powerful Saiyan in the universe! Frieza is strong, stronger than me, but wait and see! As the last of the Saiyans, I swear by the blood of the universe's most powerful warrior race flowing through my veins. With each fight, I will become more powerful. With each fight, I'll get stronger and stronger."

He could feel the long forgotten pride within him boil as he stood to meet it. His fists clenched as the power burned out of his body. Blue aura was a shield around him, pushing out on all sides as he screamed, "And I swear to the Supreme Kai, that I will claim my birthright. My Destiny! And become the most powerful being the universe has ever seen! A Super Saiyan! And on that day, I will beat Frieza! And I will rule the universe, exactly as I was meant to." He bellowed as everything around him crumbled under the force of his aura.

He relished under the feeling of it all. His rage and pride fueling the flames of his aura hungrily. He felt it then. The woman on her motorcycle approaching him, a scouter clipped over her eye. He sucked the cool air into his body, feeling it sooth him. He pulled the power back in so that it nestled deep in his center. He was completely calm by the time she stopped the bike near him.

Her voice was tentative, "Veg-"

"Come, Onna," he said before lifting to the skies, "There is work to do."

Bulma made a small smile as she turned the bike back around to the compound and revved the engine. She saw it. In the moment before he lifted off the ground she saw it all in his face. Pride.

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**A/N: Oh yes, there is a master plan, dear readers and reviewers. Give the story a chance to get there before you jump to wild OOC conclusions. *Gives a familiar smirk* As for Bulma, I never liked "Show my panties" Bulma from DB, and Nagging and Bitching Bulma was never a favorite of mine either. I prefer the less valley-girl caricatured and more gear-head Bulma.*Flips hair dramatically as crosses arms* And if you don't like that then, oh well, read something else. Honestly, all respect intended! I love the reviews and that there are several followers and favorites for this story for far! I feel it right here, in my inbox. What? Where were you thinking?So what do you think? it all makes sense now doesn't it. Tell me what you think in comments, I would love to see what you think of this development.**


	7. Chapter 6: Determined Small Talk

**Last time on Enslaved: After a quick fight with Bulma, Vegeta comes to an unbearable and disgusting conclusion, that he has been a compliant slave to Frieza for years. But not anymore. Fueled by his hatred, fury and pride, Vegeta returns to Capsule Corp for a new determination: to destroy Frieza and reclaim his birthright. **

**Chapter 6: Determined Small Talk**

Bulma poked the destroyed training droid with her pencil so that it rocked back and forth on her desk. The lab had become her home at Capsule Corp, even more than it had been before. She spent all her time in the lab, setting up a small cot in the back, unwilling to go back into the house for anything. She called the house bots to the lab to do any cooking or cleaning, otherwise she was sure she and Vegeta both would have starved long ago. Over that last month she had built a prototype GR. It also had a fail-safe switch she had linked to the ship's console as well as an encapsulating function so he would be able to take it with them to Namek. There were even some handy droids to help in battle simulations. Since she gave Vegeta the OK to use the GR, she had not seen him in days. But at least, things seemed to be progressing well with the Namekian ship. She had already begun making a gravity room that could fit into the interior during the trip to Namek, because, as the last week proved, she was positive Vegeta wasn't going to just sit around in his underwear the whole time. The Namekian ship had ample space in the hangar for the GR to fit so he could train while they traveled, which was good because the Namekian ship did not have the suspended animation gas that the pod had had. So far he seemed to like the new GR. At least he _must_, he had not left it for a week straight. Bulma gave one final hard poked and the training droid rolled completely off the desk.

She dropped the pencil and dumped her head into her hands. _This has to end, _she thought. Things had been unbearably awkward. He was always nearby, and sometimes his presence was reassuring to her, but every time she looked at him she came up with only questions. She was unsure what this all meant to him and why he was helping. It was just awkward. As the work on the Namekian ship was coming closer and closer to completion- there were only a few more tests to work out before launch- she was becoming more and more worried.

_How are we supposed to do this if he hates me,_ she sighed at the thought. Her head shot up. And then she jet over to the computer display and punched in a few keys. With a satisfied smile, she walked over to her desk, picked up her coffee and waited.

"ONNA! That damned machine stopped working!" Vegeta yelled as he entered the lab.

"Oh my. Well, it is already pretty late, just call it a night and have some dinner," she said with another sip. He looked pissed, so she added, "I have the bots roasting a turkey."

He grumbled but didn't leave the room and she smiled broadly. _The secret weapon is always food. _She gestured for him to follow her to the kitchen area in the lab; and he did with only a few grumbled words.

The kitchenette was well equipped with oven, stove and a full size frig. Of course Bulma had never cooked a day in her life, she had always left that to the bots and her mom. _Mom loved to cook. _She pushed away the twinging thought and looked forward to the smells in kitchen. The bots had indeed been roasting a turkey and were beeping that it was done.

"Okay. Okay, I got it," Bulma said to the beeping little robot chasing her towards the oven. When she opened the oven door, the smells filled the room of each crackling and dripping piece of the meat that awaited them. While she was looking for some oven mitts, Vegeta came up behind her and lifted the hulking turkey from the oven.

"Wooh, be careful, it is hot and you need- oh," she said with surprise as he waved a gloved hand at her after slowly putting the turkey down on the table. He smirked condescendingly at her, but her eyes were only focused on his gloved hand. "I didn't know they were heat resistant too," she said reaching for his hand to feel the material.

"Why else would I wear them if not for protection?" he snipped pulling his hand away from her and turning towards the table. Before she could get to imagining a few reasons, he pulled off his gloves and tossed them to her and then reached for one of the turkey's legs with his bare hand. She smiled and took her prize to the chair on the other side of the table to examine it.

After the second time her stomach growled at her, she gave in and got herself some slices of the turkey before it was completely gone. Vegeta was already well on his way through the second turkey leg. As she watched him shovel food into his face, she tapped her fork on her lower lip. Since they would be traveling together and vanquishing evil from the universe together, she figured that they should at least like each other a little bit. She gave her lip a final tap as she thought, _What would mom say?_

"So um, Vegeta, do you have a girlfriend back home?" she said in her best Bunny impersonation, but she was having trouble keeping it up without a blush, "Is she taller than you? Do all the Saiyan women have Frankenstein's bride hair like your's?"

He lifted an eyebrow in her direction at this strange line of questioning. At first, he planned to growl a non-response, finish his dish and return to training, but seeing the pink on her cheeks he instead said, "I do not know to what you refer, but No. I do not have a woman or bed slave on Frieza's ship. And I have never meet a Saiyan woman, so I am unsure about their hair or height," he said between bites.

"What do you mean never met one? They exist right? Or does your species reproduce asexually?" she asked, fascinated at the idea of a pregnant Vegeta or that one day he would eat so much he would split two. _But with how much he eats already, that would be more food than a planet could provide._ _Nah, he is so cold blooded, he would probably lay an egg_.

"Stop imagining strange things, Onna," he insisted. She had a strange childlike wonder skipping behind her eyes and he was sure she was thinking all manner of outlandish things about him. "Saiyans do have mates and produce cubs," he wasn't about to go into the biology of it, so shifted the topic. "I have never seen a Saiyan female, because there are none alive."

"Oh," she said quietly. "Not even your mother?"

"I was very young. She died when I was still a cub," he said as bluntly as he could. Despite his insistence, he did remember a little. The hum of her voice and the smell of her redish hair.

He couldn't remember exactly, but he felt like her eyes were unusually light for a Saiyan, just like her red hair. He could see the Onna gleaming for more and he wasn't sure why he gave into it. "Even as a fetus, a Saiyan cub is dangerous and most females die in the birthing process. And as a warrior race, the female saiyans did not have time away from the battlefield in order to carry cubs with them, so most Saiyans were born from artificial wombs. My mother held to royal tradition and kept her cubs to term as a testament to her power," he stated with a sort of pride.

"So she did survived the pregnancy," she said and made a mental note to ask many more questions about this artificial womb technology, "but then what happened?"

The corner of Vegeta's mouth bent down, but he continued. "Carrying me was no easy task and weakened her a great deal. She did not survive her next pregnancy and left he cub premature and weak." He brushed the memories away and decided to turn this uncomfortable situation around before she could ask more questions. "What about you?"

"What about me?" she asked innocently as she sipped some of her water.

"Did you have a mate? Cubs?" he glanced an eye in her direction. He figured not; since she only ever talked about her father and mother, and judging by the way her face burned he was right. His mouth bent up into a cocky smile as he enjoyed turning the tables on her.

"No! I mean I have never-not that I have Never. I have! I just," Bulma clamped her hands on the sides of her cheeks to try and cool her overheating face. With a determined inhale she continued a little more slowly but she couldn't help but to speed forward. "No I am not married, or mated as you put it. I did have a boyfriend for a long time, Yamcha. We grew up together while we were both just growing into adults, so naturally we explored the physical side. But we fought all the time, like we were trying to make it a soap opera romance throughout high school. Everyone always assumed that we would be together forever even though we were always breaking up and getting back together. When it came down to it, we both just knew that intimacy was awkward for us. He was great looking, great body and a little rough around the edges, but it just didn't work out. Like kissing your brother. No true burn your soul, tear your clothes off passion fueled nights and days that I really wanted. You know what I mean?" she leaned over the table and looked up at where Vegeta was sitting. At least, she looked at where he _had _been sitting. She looked around the room and caught a glimpse of his back as he carried a full plate of turkey outside.

"Perfect! Great idea Briefs, nothing makes people bond like awkward conversations about previous relationships" she said to the robot sweeping tiny bites of turkey scraps off the floor. She picked up the gloves next to her napkin and looked at them again. She rubbed the fabric between her fingers, examining the stitching and the worn pads of each finger. "Perfect," she sighed and dropped her chin into his glove still bunched up in her hand.

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Bulma leaned against the desk as she sipped her coffee, taking a quick break from the engine grease and circuit boards for lunch. She heard a bell jingle by her feet. There was one survivor at the compound, Scratch, her father's kitten. She had found him curled up under his workstation in the lab. The kitten was lonely without her father around too, so they kept each other company, but cat refused to sit on her shoulder as he did for her father. It just wasn't the same.

Everything reminded her of her father and mother. And every quiet moment she found only made her miserable, so instead she worked. Letting herself be consumed by the toil of numbers and plans. She looked out the window at the GR. "I think we both have that feeling," she said to the kitten, "To do anything but feel that way again," She never would have thought her words would have spawned such a change in Vegeta. She admired that determination, the concentrated fury he possessed now. He was no longer an engine without wheels, he was speeding forward with one clear goal in mind. She gave the GR a dreamy look as she thought, _I like that_.

In the next instant the entire GR imploded into a pile of rubble.

"Vegeta!" she screamed before running out of the lab and into the yard. As she approached the remains of the GR, a hand reached out of the rocks. She pulled the hand and the rest of Vegeta out from under the wreck.

After a quick sigh of relief, Bulma screamed, "Are you crazy?! You could have blown up the whole house! I told you to go easy, it is-was a prototype. What were you thinking?!"

Vegeta stumbled a step and shot her a satisfied half-smile, "I am nearly there," he grunted a laugh. "I can feel it," he said as he lost his footing under the rubble.

"Vegeta!" Bulma ran to his fallen body and tried to help pull him from the wreck. "Are you okay?" She looked him over for injuries.

"Of course, I am. I am a Saiyan," he said.

She couldn't tell if he was smirking at her or wincing in pain. She rolled her eyes dramatically, "You are a cocky ass, is what you are," she said as she tried to help him out of the remains of the GR. "Maybe I can try and change the settings on the headband so that you don't feel the pain. I mean, if it can give you pain maybe it can relieve it too. It could make things a lot easier for you-"

"NO!" Vegeta bellowed out pushing her away from him with more strength then she figured he have left.

"What the hell, Vegeta? I just-" she shouted back at him.

Despite his obvious injuries and how unsteady he was on his feet, he gathered himself up as he stalked towards her. "No, don't you dare try and tinker around inside my head. You want to make things a lot easier for me?" his words pushed her back till she fell onto the ground. His hands hit the dirt, surrounding her on both sides, locking her in place. He hated it, he could feel that somewhere in him she had a hold on him. And he was never going to allow himself to be controlled again. He leaned in closer. The smell of her pooled in the base of his stomach. Her eyes darted all around; anywhere but looking at him. He hit the ground again and her eyes fixed directly at him. "If you want to make things easier, then why don't you go ahead take this thing off me?"

Hurt filled her eyes as she looked at his face and then up to the headband. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and pushed him back on his knees so that she could escape the net of his arms and run into the house.

That spurt of anger had taken the last burst of energy he had and as soon as she was gone, he succumb to the exhaustion. His energy drained from him quickly, as if it evaporated and was lifted away with the wind. He sat for a moment and then rolled over onto his back in the grass. He slowed his breathing until the pain was under control. Perhaps he would just lay here until his body had recovered some.

As he looked up at the sky, his mind drifted. The sun feels good on this planet, and the gentle breeze was sweet and cool, his mind drifted. _There is a great deal of blue on this planet: the sky the ocean and lakes. I am sure the Onna would have something to say about the reason behind it all. Everywhere blue._ Planet Vegeta had been mostly red. He didn't remember much of it, but he did remember the harsh sun, red land and sting of sand on the wind. _The sunsets here often burn red. _As he closed his eyes and sunk into unconsciousness he thought, _I wonder what color they were on Vegetasei._

-o-o-o-o-o-

**A/N: Thanks for reading!** I hope you continue to enjoy this story and please review. I love the feedback and perspective you provide.

**Hello there Reader! Have you reviewed yet? Maybe this is a good chance to do that. ;) **

A/N #2: Thanks for reading Tybalt and DBZ-fan: I am sorry for being over sensitive. You know how writing can be. If you felt it was OOC at parts, that was MY failing for not making it clearer in the writing that this compliant and cold version of Vegeta is unusual for a reason. And that is a completely valid critique! Keep bringing it on! I love debate, and opposing positions, I honestly really do. It was only frustrating that I couldn't private message the guest comment and ask about it more. Walls never make the best conversations. But again, sorry for jumping down your throat and please do keep reviewing. Keep pushing me to be better, please.


	8. Chapter 7: Guilt

**The story thus far: To protect herself and return home after being captured by one of Frieza's slave-ships, Bulma has outfitted Vegeta with a slave-headband that will cause him pain if he disobeys her commands. In this chapter, they are currently traveling to Namek it find the dragonballs and wish to bring back everyone lost when the slave-ships came to Earth.**

**Chapter 7: Guilt**

Traveling through space is thrilling! The stars, galaxies, going boldly where no man (or woman) has gone before and all that. Well, at least it was in the beginning. It was just over a month ago when they left Earth in Kami's ship when she watched the blue marble she called home zip far away in just a moment. In the next moment they were out of Earth's solar system and then soon enough they were out of the milky way. Beautiful arrays of color and shapes of galaxies zoomed past and were bent by the doomed green porthole window. A blur of distorted worlds. Distant bright lights surrounded by an endless cold black void. Suddenly, the thought of being the only human to have traveled this far into space seemed empty when she likely the only human left anyway. It wasn't long until the wonder of it all left her cold and lonely.

"Bored, bored, bored," Bulma said aloud as she twirled and leaned far back the pilot chair, "bored, bored, boooorrred!" She had checked the systems, counted supplies -twice- re-calibrated the gravity within the ship and punch the navigation's refresh button several times in the last 10 minutes. She had even invented a robot space duck, but its quack needed work. The one thing she was unable to fix was how hot it was in the ship, but hanging out in the control room in her underwear became her default solution. Vegeta never came in there anyway.

Actually, Vegeta hardly left the GR at all. When he did come out, it was only to eat and sleep. She admired that singular focus; that all his energy was drawn in like a laser towards his goal. She used to be like that. She would be in the lab for days and nights, fueled by coffee and cigarettes, bounding forward to complete each invention and then working to perfect it. Peeling back the variables and coming up with new solutions to make each component and part an example of her best work. A testament to her brilliance. And she did it all not for money, her family always had plenty of that, but for the chance to make something revolutionary. And now, she couldn't even be bothered to make a robot space duck quack properly.

She sighed as she felt the malaise cover her, but before it could harden she stood up. "Time to leave this room," she said aloud. As she pulled on the coveralls and zipped them up she said, "I wonder if this talking to myself is becoming a problem? No, it is only a problem if I start getting answers. Right? Right!" She looked around the room with a slightly concerned look, "Okay, yeah, now I am creeping myself out. I need to get out of this room."

She walked to the kitchen area and looked through the cabinets. Mostly dried goods, like a green box of powdered mashed potato mix. Until, "Oh my! What is this?" she said pulling out a bottle. "Hello there, I had forgotten I had packed you!" she exclaimed pulling the two bottles from the cabinet. "Come my bottled friend, let's celebrate this reunion!" She skipped to another cabinet and brought down a clear glass with a heavy base. "In this spacetime, I am sure it is five o'clock somewhere!"

-0-0-0-0-0-

Vegeta felt the GR power down and the weight lift off of him in an instant. With a curse, he finished the pushup and walked to the control console. He saw the red blinking error message and gave another low grumble as he turned on his heel and went straight to the chamber's door. As the heavy door pulled open he heard some the Woman's earth music echoing in the ship. She had subjected him to this music she was worked her lab as well. It was coming from the kitchen area, based on the sound and warm light in the doorway down the hall. The only thing that stopped him from instead heading to the shower in his quarters was the enticing smell of roasting meat.

There she was. In the kitchen moving around as she tried to dance to the music. Her coveralls were unzipped to her hips then rolled and tied so it hung low, exposing the thin tank top underneath. She bobbed and swayed to the music.

"Oh Vegeta! Fancy meeting you here! Did you know that when you are in space, and traveling near the speed of light, it is five o'clock somewhere? That is fascin-alating, in't it?" She had a half empty bottle of golden brown liquid that she gestured wildly with as she spoke before she leaned heavily over the counter. Her low cut top stretched to contain her and seemed as if it would give up at any time. Vegeta could be patient.

"Onna, the GR is broken," he said flatly as he watched the scene.

"Oh my, that is horrible," she laughed out, "I would love to help you with that, but I aaaam…. not gonna," she reasoned as she took another swig. Her arm shot the bottle forward, "Where are my manners! You want some?"

Vegeta lifted the bottle easily from her fingers and towards his nose to sniff the contents suspiciously. "What is this beverage?" he said eyeing her.

"That, my friend, is Scotch," She drifted closer to him as she spoke. "It is aged in oak barrels for years before it is juuuuust right. Gr'ood scotch is aged for 20 years before it is ready. Very good scotch, for 40 years. This, my friend, this is Johnny Walker Blue; it is 60 year old scotch. Fantastically smooth, mellow and smokey flavors and wonderful. Try some," she insisted moving the bottle closer to his mouth. "In the name of efficiency I cut out the middle name known as Cup. It kept falling out my hand anyway," she said pushing the bottle higher. He finally complied and lifted the bottle to his lips for a small taste, but she tilted his hand up so his mouth was filled with the liquid. It was smooth across his tongue and burned the back of his throat just a bit as he swallowed the substance. The most pleasant part was how it warmed his chest all the way down.

"See, I told ya. It is really something else," she said moving to stand next to him and lean against the counter as well. "Do you have alcohol in space? Well of course, you do, I am sure the molecular compound exists, but do you drink it?" she said looking up into his eyes and before he could even decide to answer she grabbed hold of his cheeks. "Wow, your eyes are so black. Like I can't see where your iris ends and your pupil begins they are so black. You have big pupil eyes!" she snorted with a laugh as she spoke. She also spit on him a little each time she said pupil. Her breath carried the same smell as the bottle in his hand. She scooted closer still and suddenly looked serious, "Can I get lost in them? Your big pupil eyes, I mean. I want to dive in past those corneas and just look around. See if I can try to figure you out."

Vegeta could feel her heart beating quickly through the thin fabric of her top as she leaned into his chest. Her blue eyes wide and open as she looked up into his eyes, following their every twitch and dart as they tried to avoid her constant gaze. Her fingers were sprawled out on his chest, as she looked like a pet desperate for attention and recognition. He lifted the last of the bottle's contents into his mouth as he attempted to slid away from her. She still followed. After he took in the last drops, he pushed the now empty bottle back into her hands.

She looked at the empty bottle like a lost friend. Her voice made him pause, "You know, my dad was always a Scotch man. I have to admit I prefer the taste of vanilla and baking spices of bourbon over the mellow smokiness of scotch. It was one of the few things we didn't have in common" she said tears cracking her voice.

Vegeta stopped. He was so close to simply exiting the room and leaving this mess of a woman to sort herself out, but he couldn't seem to leave when he saw her like that. She looked rather beautiful; with her blue hair tangled and falling over her eyes so she would have to toss it away, red and heated cheeks and eyelashs wet with tears. But what really pulled him closer were those red lips drawn into a pout. Lips just barely parted and then bitten and licked till they were swollen and shined.

Bulma sensed and seized his hesitation by running and clinging onto his chest. He stood stock still with arms to his sides, not sure what to do with now crying woman holding onto him like he was the last pod on a doomed ship. Decision made, he put an arm around the Onna's back and under her legs and lifted her straight off the ground and walked out of the kitchen. He bounced her a bit higher on his chest and her arms came up to wrap around his neck, dropping the bottle along the way, and her head fell to his shoulder. She sniffed and sobbed on to his suit right next to her ear, but he didn't seem to mind at all as he carried her through the ship towards her quarters.

"No, I don't want to go to my room," she sniffed when she peeked at where he was heading. Vegeta stopped in his tracks.

"Well where do you want to go?" he stated, a little bit of annoyance coming into his voice.

"Not there. Anywhere but there," she said burying her face into the crock of his neck again.

Vegeta sighed heavily and turned towards the central living area's large green window, where he often found her gazing into the stars, and asteroids and void. He less than gently dumped her into the window seat and detached her arms from around his neck. She leaned back into the pillows and blankets she had left in the window seat before, her eyes drifting to look out the domed window. Vegeta paused for a moment, looking out the window as well, trying to see what had captured her attention when her voice broke through his thoughts.

"Vegeta, I've been wanting to talk with you, but it was never the right time," she said quietly staring off into the window. "You know, on my planet we fought many wars. For centuries, after a battle, the conquered people would be rounded up as slaves. Their homes destroyed and their lives commandeered. Families torn apart as women and children were carted away and sold next to animals as a commodity. The only lives ahead of them were ones of abuse and hopelessness. Surviving soldiers and the elderly were often murdered on the spot. Humans did this for a long time, almost as the standard norm across cultures and continents. Until a new understanding was reached." She stood up at she spoke to stand next to him, but still facing away and towards the window, "That we are all people and equal and that the lies we had created to keep us separated and make ourselves feel better about enslaving some people and not others were false. Of course, everyone did not agree and more battles and wars were fought to keep slaves. Even today, in the darkest corners of our planet, slavery still exists. The most evil among humans still steal and use the most vulnerable among us as slaves. I just never knew I would be one of them," she said finally looking up at him unable to hide the new tears from her eyes.

"When I found my father dead," Bulma moved closer to him, reaching towards his head and began pressing buttons on the headband as she continued to talk. "I broke my promise to you. But even before that, I knew that this was wrong. I have no more right to enslave you than anyone does."

Vegeta felt it then, that grip, that presence in his mind fading away until it was gone. He pulled away from her and stared into her eyes, his hand reaching up for the headband. "What have you done?"

"There is nothing controlling you anymore," she said to the window. The black filled spaces between the stars felt like it had swallow her whole.

"So I can… I can just leave?"

"If that is what you want," she said meeting his eyes again. Her whole being looked up at him, nothing was hidden and yet still he could not seem to find his way to understand this slip of a girl.

His eyes bored into hers. Looking for answers and finding only more questions. So instead he looked to what he knew to be true. He hated this woman. Hated her for enslaving him. Yes, she was very resourceful. And like a resourceful person, she was using him as a convenient tool at her disposal to accomplish her goals. Just like Frieza had done to him. Ignoring his wishes and supplanting her priorities as what was most important. But two can play that game. He began to use her as well, use her intelligence and technology to reach his goals and kill Frieza. While the main goal was fixed by her, that was the only thing she was forcing him to do, everything else was unrestricted. The end goal was something he still agreed with it and felt less resistance to helping them both reach this same end.

Outside of their shared goal was everything else. He figured her constant wish to be friendly with him, to chat and smile and laugh, was only to make herself feel less guilty about what she was doing-keeping him a slave. However, what he hated the most is that he liked being around her. He liked her chatter and smiles and the tinkling sound of her laugh and the way her eyes flamed to life when he got her angry. She made him feel content, almost happy. But all the smirks and smiles could not erase what hung over their heads. What was wrapped around his head. It was holding them in this limbo. Without it, there would be all new questions that he didn't want to consider yet. New questions that needed answering that the headband saved them from having to ask.

"Turn it back on," he stated. The words left his lips without a second thought.

Confusion clouded over her face, "But I—"

"You heard what I said," he said in a stern voice. "Turn it back on." She pressed several buttons and he felt the headband take hold once again. But all he could do was look at her. She has changed everything. Changed him. With her and this headband, it has been the first time he felt-anything.

-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N: "Bum, bum Buummm" What a dramatic cliff I have left you dangling on, Dear Reader. But do not worry ,the story moves on again soon. Hope you like it so far, please keep reading and reviewing when you get a chance.

A/N#2: This is submitted for the "We're Just Saiyan" St Patty's Think and Drink Challenge! I was going to make the bottle of scotch Johnnie Walker Green label, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it (it just isn't as good of a bottle; to be accurate, Johnnie Walker Green is 15 year old and eventually discontinued.)


	9. Chapter 8: Touchdown on Namek

**Last time on Enslaved: In a guilt ridden (and a bit drunken) moment, Bulma turns off the slave headband and gives Vegeta his freedom. With all the complications and questions hovering over them both, he tells her to turn the slave headband back on.**

**Chapter 8: Touchdown on Namek**

The ship touched down with little effort on Namek, like a sigh at coming home. Bulma flicked the last few switches to turn off systems while Vegeta stood behind the pilot's chair. Silent and waiting, but present. Seeing her turn the last switch off, he exited the room and then the ship without a word.

Bulma breathed heavily into the now empty air of the cockpit. She was endlessly embarrassed of how she acted... that night.

_That Night, _she thought, _maybe I should called it Bourbon's Revenge. No, wait, that was the next morning. _She tried to smile at her own joke, but just ended up sighing again as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

That Night was the first time she had cried since finding her home and life destroyed, but more than that she admitted to the thing that has been fisted and knotted deep inside her chest. Tangling up every moment she saw Vegeta and looked at what she had done to him and what it meant about her.

She had never known that about herself. Before being captured by the slave ship, she never would have believed she was capable of stealing a person's life for her own uses. Not just for enslaving Vegeta, but for leaving that ship full of slaves to die in the explosion she herself created. Before enslaving him, she looked right into his eyes before locking him out and leaving him to perish with the rest. She was a monster and no matter how she tried to reason it away, befriend him or aligning their motives in the end there was only the truth.

When Vegeta told her to turn the headband back on, it was like he had always seen the monster in her, he had seen it all and accepted it. Accepted what it all meant. And yet inside of her she wished he had not. She wished she could change back to the girl who didn't know about the selfish evil of which she was capable. Her eyes were truly open now. And the headband was a shouted reminder every time she looked at him.

_But now is not the time to worry about this, _Bulma thought closing the cockpit door. She still needed to calibrate the dragon radar to this planet's Dragonballs and then go about collecting them, and the wish, _and then... who knows. _

When she stepped outside the ship, Vegeta was floating in the sky high above her. _What is he doing,_ she thought as she encapsulated the Namekian ship, _scouting the area or smelling the air or looking for a summer home. You never know with that guy._

Once the ship had disappeared in a puff, Vegeta floated down so he stood directly in front of her. He seemed strangle alert. "There is a cave not too far from here. Come on," he said briskly.

"Okay let me get-" she said reaching into her Capsule bag.

"No time," was all he said before locking an arm around her waist and jetting off and flying low over a huge green lake. He flattened her against his chest so they could feel the other's heartbeat. The experience was short lived. Vegeta slowed and gracefully let each foot find the ground, and once the second heel touched down he dropped her like a Tromillian sack of rooted bamers.

"Hey!" Bulma squelched in protest, "Geez, do you always have to be such a jerk?" She said getting to her feet and rubbing her bottom, all warm thoughts from the flight gone.

"Wait there," Vegeta said as he turned away from the cave entrance.

"What? You can't leave me alone here! How do I know you will come back?" Bulma said, she was never one to like being pushed away from the action.

"You die, I die right?" he said glibly, a smirk sliding onto his face.

"Right" Bulma said feeling kinda stupid for the outburst and a still raw twinge.

"So I'll be back" Vegeta said with an especially cocky smirk as he walked off and stepped back into the air.

Bulma mumbled a few choice words about that smirk before walking towards the cave and digging into her bag of capsules.

"Well, who knows how long it will take to find all the dragonballs. So time to start making a cave a home," she said pulling out a capsule and walking deeper into the cave.

Vegeta was still flying. He could feel it. Something powerful was here and once he had Bulma tucked away, he could seek it out. He had grown very powerful while training on the Onna's planet and with her GR device. He could tell he was twice as strong as he had been before. He smiled as he saw a soldier stepping of his pod, _Now's my chance to test it out. _

Bulma leaned her chin heavily into her hand as she drumming her unoccupied fingers against the table. The capsule house was set. She didn't have a dragonball to calibrate her radar. She debated just heading off to find one, but Vegeta had been so serious she wondered if there real dangers on the planet. _This saving the universe business was proving to be a real bore, _she thought. She looked over and saw that the scouter had a blinking red light on the screen. Curious, she opened her laptop and plugged in the connecting cord she had designed. The scouter had some interesting functions but it's interface was sorely lacking in her opinion. _Seriously, one big button on the side? No voice command. Superior alien technology my ass. Now, tell me who is floating around out there. _

Vegeta touched down next to some cliffs near the landed pod, but kept himself in the shadows. When he saw the soldier step out of the pod he powered up enough to set off his scouter. It didn't take long for his prey to come to him.

"In the name of Lord Frieza I order you to show yourself!" the soldier shouted.

"I don't take orders from anyone, least of all you, Cui," Vegeta said flatly leaning casually against the cliff wall.

"Vegeta? I didn't see your scouter signal. What are you doing on this rock? How did you-"

"I have some questions for you first. Tell me, Where is Frieza now?"

"LORD Frieza," Cui hissed out. He was a persistent kiss ass and stickler for protocol. Once, Vegeta saw him correcting a lower ranked soldier grammar even. "is currently in the Septian Quadrant, seeing to some rebel".

"That far off. And you? What are you doing here?"

"I was sent here to find some nonsense rumor of magic orbs or something. A relic for Frieza's glorious collection, I am sure."

Vegeta only grunted in response. Frieza had a large collection of several alien artifacts he kept as trophies and trinkets of annihilated planets. Meaningless junk and with the greatest impact on those that would speak out against him; act out and their planet's prized possession could be a bookend in Frieza's gallery as well. Once when the gallery got too full, he threw a grand ball for several planetary diplomats under his role. The main event was Frieza gleefully destroying some his least favorite artifacts in front of them, just to make more room in the crowded gallery, he said. One by one he blasted crowns, tomes, holy goblets and revered paintings of long forgotten planets so there was truly nothing left. There was nothing of Vegetasei in the gallery, some in court joked rather correctly that that was why the prince was still around. Frieza's favorite trophy.

"I heard about your punishment, Vegeta," Cui said, interrupting Vegeta's thoughts. Cui could barely containing his excitement, "Sent to a slave planet! What an excellent idea; the whole universe is talking about you. Ginyu said you wouldn't last a month," Cui's thick purple lips stretched into a wide smile, "I bet you wouldn't last a week." Cui said pressing his scouter one more time. "You should have never defied Lord Frieza. And seeing you here has given me the greatest gift. You must have escaped the slave ship and are on the run. Lord Frieza will give me a promotion for bringing back his treasured monkey prince. And oh Vegeta, I have been waiting for the day I would get to wipe that smug smirk off your face."

"We will see about that," Vegeta said, stepping forward and away from the cliff wall. He groaned as he left the power he has been suppressing loose inside of him. The force of it lifting dust from the ground and causing the wind to blow around him.

Cui's scouter beeped frantically as it calculated the rapidly increasing power level before him. "Ah! Impossible," the fear apparent on his face, "your power level was never anywhere near mine."

"You fool. Do you really believe you were more powerful than me? That you could keep up with my experience in battle? I have been constantly fighting on the front lines. I have been on the brink of death countless times. While you have been hiding behind Frieza's skirts in the court or sent on messily treasure hunting missions like this. You are soft and weak!" Vegeta shouted as he powered up even more.

"Over 22,000 I have never seen a reading that high!" Cui said before his scouter exploded off his face. "Wait Vegeta," Cui said in a panic as he stepped farther and farther away. We could join forces. I have never like Lord Frieza anyway. If we work together we can take Zarbon and Diadora no problem. Think about it! We'd make a fantastic team!"

"You're cowardice makes me sick," Vegeta said flatly as he formed a ki blast in his hand. "What happened to all the confidence before? It doesn't seem to be working anymore," he said with a smirk.

Cui tripped and fell as he tried to back away farther from the Saiyan. Vegeta stepped forward as he stalked him, stepping fully out of the shadows now. Cui looked over his shoulder at his pursuer and saw the slave head. He couldn't hold back the smile and satisfied laugh that spread over his face, "The headband? You are a full fledged slave now, Vegeta. That is something you can never escape," he laughed.

Vegeta clamped his hand over Cui's mouth in a flash and blasted his head clean off with the kei shot. "I take orders from no one."

**A/N:** **I love Bad-ass Vegeta. I hope you do too. Thanks for reading! Sorry but this story is going on a bit of a Hiatus while I decide where it is going next. It quickly is turning into other AU fanfictions that I know and love (like Surviving Together, Vengeance, etc), but don't want to copy-they did a great job of it already and I want more than a bad copy of greatness. I also like innovation. PM me if you are interested in adopting the story-it may be a Long hiatus. I HATE not finishing things, but I am struggling with the "it's been done" feeling of where the story is going. ...Who knows, PM if you would like to help crowd-source a direction for this story. **


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